First Flight Home
by Italian Skunk
Summary: He leaned against the long counter, hands on the smooth edges, and studied himself in the mirror. A good shower would wake him up well, and more relaxing than the heart attack the alarm had given him. Gilbert then noticed a black smudge on the back of his right hand. Gilbert studied the writing, finding it to be his own sharp, somewhat-messy, half-cursive penmanship.


_Matthew…_

_God, please don't wake me up._

_Wait._

_GOD DAMNIT!_

Gilbert slowly opened his eyes with a sigh that told he regretted having such a thought. He sat up, frowning in a childish manner. His dream had been interrupted, one of Matthew… they were having a picnic. It was spring, they had just finished eating, and Matthew was teaching him how to make origami swans…

"Why…!" he suddenly spat angrily to no one. He was alone in the hotel room, alone in his bed. Gilbert threw aside the warmth of the blankets and stood up. He trudged to the bathroom, one hand running through his silver-white bedhead, and the other tossing the phone back on the bed.

He leaned against the long counter, hands on the smooth edges, and studied himself in the mirror. A good shower would wake him up well, and more relaxing than the heart attack the alarm had given him. Gilbert then noticed a black smudge on the back of his right hand.

He made a noise of surprise, lifting his hand closer so he could see what was there.

Gilbert studied the writing, finding it to be his own sharp, somewhat-messy, half-cursive penmanship. His red eyes narrowed, and then an excited grin laced his lips.

_TODAY IS THE DAY! Today you leave behind this hellish business trip; you're coming home at last! Get ready, you lucky jackass, your Birdie is waiting!_

He remembered writing the message, the previous night. He had just gotten off of work that night, with the news that it was the last night he'd be there, that he could go home. He drank a good glass of wine to celebrate – courtesy of the hotel room's mini fridge – and had the wonderful idea to write a note on his hand as a reminder. An idea that would get his heart racing, dancing, aching to get back home when the blue early morning arrived.

"Birdie," he whispered. "Matt, Mattie, Matthew, babe, sweetheart, dork… God, I'm finally coming home." Gilbert breathed.

When he was done with showering, dressing, packing his things, and tidying the room up a bit – to help out the elderly maid assigned to him – Gilbert snatched up the pen he had signed his hand with. It was lucky; it was bringing him back to Matthew. He went through the papers when signing out, returning his key, and everything else he appeared to care about but truly didn't. He got a taxi.

The drive to the airport was only a step closer to returning to his boyfriend, and he was kind of bouncing in his seat along the way.

The hours flying were agonizing, but Gilbert didn't care at all.

He walked out of the airport, grinning and humming.

"_I'll be home in no time_!" he sang lightly, walking off and away for a taxi.

It was time to go.

* * *

><p>The car moving forward underneath the gravel that led to his and Matthew's house was music to his ears. Matthew could hear it, he knew, even if it were a whisper fighting through the headphones he wore.<p>

He tried to imagine it.

Would Matthew open the door, his sweater large and baggy with a blue and orange Aztec pattern, orange skinny jeans ripped at his knees, and his battered converse sneakers scuffing floor? Or black skinny jeans with thin suspenders and a tight-fitting white T-shirt with a crudely-drawn cat on it?

That shirt always was one of his favorites…

His fingers itched to burrow into the beloved blonde curls.

Gilbert paid and got out, his belongings after him. He closed the car door, and the taxi drove off. It disappeared down the road.

Gilbert picked up one suit case, and slung his bookbag over his other shoulder. His red eyes glowed brilliantly as he looked to each decoration that was on the outside of the house.

Their car – it was a very nice, shiny shade of blue – was parked further into the driveway, but Gilbert could still see the skunk stuffed animal they kept tucked away under the back windshield. He carried himself up the stone steps, gaze flickering to the scattered round stones they had painted to resemble _M&Ms_. He stood on a Welcome mat – this time, the mat was in German, though, so _Willkommen!_ it read – and stared at the crisply-painted white front door.

Gilbert knocked, a hauntingly familiar tune playing out with each beat of his knuckles against the wood.

Matthew would hear it. Matthew would realize it was him.

He was home.

Only a few seconds later, there was the pounding of feet tumbling down the stairs, and sliding to a stop_ past the door_. But then the door unlocked, and it was flung open.

"Gil-!" he squeaked, his indigo gaze lighting up like the Christmas lights they had hanging around their room by the ceiling. He had one hand on the door, another had gone to run through his hair, but in the end, he held them, trembling, to his mouth. "Gil…" Matthew breathed.

Gilbert grinned, lovingly, warmly, and dropped his bags, held his arms open.

"I'm here, Birdie, and I'm not leaving your side again…" he murmured.

And Matthew cried. Gilbert intercepted those crystal-like tears with his black nail-polished fingertips where they ran down his cheeks; he kissed his tears away, and kissed Matthew on the lips.

He was finally home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - OKAY! So... _First Flight Home_ - Jake Miller - sounds like a PruCan song. To me, anyways.**

**And about their house. I feel like Matthew would have an ordinary house, a car, the like. Until Gilbert comes along. And then they would have these M&M stones around their house, since Gilbert is just that crazy and wild and influencing. A house near where I live has them, and I thought it fit so well for these two dorks. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AS WELL BECAUSE WHY NOT. Someone else near me also has a couple of skunk stuffed animals in their car so that explains it here -_ also totally me someday, just wait_. Matthew and Gilbert would also have a number of oddly-designed welcome mats to keep their place even more unique than it already is.**

**I also hope to have another story, um... set in this universe... out, where their strange house is definitely looked into by the rest of the FACE family. Someday!**

**I hope you enjoyed!**


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